Monday, September 19, 2005

Selling some stocks?

I've been watching FRX and NCC lately, and I'm not liking what I see. I still have some nice gains (up 6% in NCC and 20% in FRX), but I don't want to see my gains evaporate like what happened in LB. NCC is hitting below some of its moving averages and this might be the first one I sell. But the action in FRX is just ugly. Today it dropped about 3% and it's starting a downtrend. I want to see how the next few days (hopefully the markets in general can pull together a few nice days), and see how they react. I'll be looking not only at the price action, but as well as volume. If I do get rid of these two, then my stocks as a percentage of my total net worth will drop to 25%. I don't mind that figure too much as long as I can find a few more stocks. This will also mean that my portfolio will be small and made up of just a few stocks. The volatility of these stocks are fairly low, so I might be able to close out 2005 with double digit gains. This would just mean I'm satisfied with those gains, but I might want to take a risk to try to improve my gains in the last few months. Honestly though, the markets have been a bit shaky. I have a few option ideas in mind though...When it comes down to it, I would be happy to end the year +double digits. It's been a fairly tough year and I'm not sure the last few months are going to be any better.

I'm going to try to look up some time management articles online (during my lunch break), but if anyone has any ideas please leave a comment!Here is my current week schedule:Wake up at 4amLeave work at around 3pmGet home at around 345pm unless I go to the gym then it's around 530pmEat dinner at 6pmGet my bag and clothes ready for the next day at 830pmDepending on how tired I am, go to bed at either 9, 930, or 10pm (then there are those really fun days when I'm so tired I go to sleep at 8pm, tonight might be one of those days).

Somehow in that time I need to: write this blog, study for the CFA, catch up on emails, and check out a few other blogs/websites.Any suggestions?

Just a note: the CFA studying is going okay, I got down the two big economic sections and I'm moving on to another section. As of right now, I'm definitely not sure I can pass this December. I know I have time, but I still think I need a little more. I'll keep on updating

2 comments:

Yeah, a full-time job is time consuming. I’m trying to have a little more structure in my schedule to better use my time, e.g. only going to the gym 2 days out of the work week then going during the weekend making a total of 4 days. This way I leave other days open to schedule something else. Stuff like that. I’m still trying to perfect it though.

Holy shit, talk about sweating it. July and August were pretty much filled with "I definately flunked." If you are still doing econ now i would recomend refocusing a little. Econ and quant really aren't that much if i recall. Definately bone up on ethics, but do it in the home stretch.

What you really want to focus on is accounting, corp. finance, and asset valuation. I took a prep course at NYSSA and the one thing i learned that paid for itself was they taught you to focus on the relationships.

If xyz corp uses LIFO and prices are rising/declining, how will this impact: Then they rattle off like 4 pairs of income statement, balance sheet, cash flow items. The lifo example is easy. The really hard stuff is when you are trying to figure out the deferred tax asset, capitalized interest, capital/operating leases, and the rest of this stuff that makes the pass rate 35%. That is the hard stuff. But it would have been easier had i known in advance. Basically you want to make flash cards and memorize the relationships.

Focus on all the combined effects with accounting and Corp. finance and then to asset valuation.

I feel like i saw a million questions where you needed to figure out growth, cost of capital,etc.

Another reason why you should worry more about those sections than econ... i think i saw more bond duration questions than economic questions. Also i felt that econ and quant were easier questions. Who knows though.

Oh and portfolio management is a small part but it's cake. Was for me at least, but than again i majored in finance.

That and get the schweser notes if you don't have them already. I had the allen and the schweser and the difference is remarkable.

Anyway dude, if you need help or have questions shoot me an email.allencapital@gmail.com